Courses Offered
Religious Studies
A list of regularly offered courses follows. The indication of when a course will be offered is based on the best projection of the home department and can be subject to change.
Please note the key for the following abbreviations: (A) Arts; (H) Humanities; (S) Social Sciences; (N) Natural Sciences with Laboratory; (LS) Language Studies requirement; (NSP) Natural Science in Perspective; (NW) Non-Western Cultures requirement.
INTRODUCTORY COURSES
RST111. Introduction to Religious Studies. (H) Fall 2009
Asks the question: “What is religion?” and provides a variety of answers by looking both at representative religious documents from a wide array of traditions and at theories about religion in the West. Staff
RST112. Introduction to Judaism: Classical Texts. (H) (NW) Fall 2009
Focuses on a number of classical Jewish texts ranging from the biblical period to the present. With the exceptions of a few selections from the modern period, all have had their impact on Jewish culture through the Hebrew language. The chief aim of the course is to immerse students in questions these texts raise, thus exposing them to the continuity and change in Jewish self-understanding over time. Students will become aware of key concepts (e.g., covenant, chosenness, prophecy, exile, redemption, Jewish law) and the continuing debates around them. Course will also discuss important events in Jewish history in order to contextualize the literature. Same as JST 112. Klein
RST113. Introduction to Christianity. (H) Fall 2010
Surveys a variety of topics in the history of Christianity. Topics include the origin of the religion, its persecution by Rome and the eventual conversion of the Roman Empire, the development of Trinitarian theology, the ascetic and monastic movement, scholasticism, the Crusades, mysticism and reform movements in the Latin church of the Middle Ages, the Protestant Reformation and the development of liberal and evangelical theologies in the 20th century. Cooper
RST114. Introduction to Islam. (H) (NW) Offered in 2009–2010
Studies the historical origins and development of Islam in light of the sources that shaped it. Explores themes including the central doctrines of Islam as derived from the Qur’an and traditions (sunna), gender and the family, the development of Islamic law (shari’ah), Shi’ism, the growth of Muslim theology and philosophy, mysticism (Sufism) and political and social issues among contemporary Muslims. Haider
RST122. Introduction to Asian Religions. (H) (NW) Fall 2010
Historical and thematic survey of the major religious traditions of Asia, concentrating on the more influential traditions of India, China, Japan and Tibet. Covers select traditions of ancient and modern forms of Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism and Daoism. Focuses on doctrine, myth and ritual in particular cultural and historical contexts. McMahan
RST167. Introduction to American Spiritualities. (H) Fall 2010
Surveys the dominant tradition of American religious practice: spirituality. The goals of this course encompass the study of different forms of spirituality in the United States past and present. The course will familiarize you with mainstream as well as alternative spiritual practices, from Puritan Devotions and the Lakota Sundance to evangelicalism, political radicalism and various modes of artistic production. The course seeks to trace major outlines of development from past to present and to illuminate the meaning of spirituality for our time and in relation to American history. Same as AMS 167. Lardas Modern
RST203. Cultural History of American Religion. (H) Fall 2010
Examines the relationship between religion and culture in the United States from approximately 1492 to the present. In addition to looking at liturgical forms of religion and surveying various religious movements and groups, we will explore 1) how cultural forms serve as vehicles of religious meaning; 2) how religious values are expressed and/or criticized in everyday social life; and 3) the interaction between religion and developments within the political, social, economic and philosophical spheres. Same as AMS 203. Staff
RST212. Hebrew Bible. (H) (NW) Fall 2009
Study of the writings of the Hebrew Bible. Seeks to understand the historical development of Israel in the biblical period and the religious forms of thought and practice that arose during this time. Same as JST 212. Klein
RST213. The New Testament: Jesus and the Gospels. (H) Spring 2010
A study of the New Testament centered on Jesus and the writings that present his life, teachings and the new religion based around him. Analyses the origin of the Jewish religious movement arising around Jesus which became Christianity after his execution and the proclamation of his resurrection by his followers. Course seeks to understand the practices and beliefs of the earliest Christians by examining the earliest Christian writings. Focuses on New Testament gospels but also examines a selection of apocryphal and gnostic gospels. Cooper
RST215. The New Testament: Paul, the Epistles and Revelation. (H) Spring 2011
A study of the New Testament centered on the letters of the apostle Paul and his role in the transformation of the Jewish religious movement that became Christianity. Analyzes the New Testament writings by Paul and those writings influenced by him (letters written in his name; the book of Acts; and Revelation), as well as the interpretation of his writings by ancient Christians as well as modern scholars. Course seeks to understand how the conversion of Paul and how his missions contributed to the growth and formation of early Christianity. Cooper
RST248. Buddhism. (H) (NW) Fall 2009
Buddhism is constituted by many traditions that have spread throughout Asia and, more recently, throughout the world. This course surveys some of the most influential forms in both ancient and modern manifestations. We begin with Buddhism in ancient India, then move to Tibet, China and Japan. Finally we will look at some of the transformations of Buddhism that have occurred as Buddhism has encountered modernity and the West. This course considers multiple dimensions of these traditions including philosophy, meditation, social relations, ethics, art and ritual. McMahan
RELIGION AND CULTURE
RST250. Witchcraft and Sorcery in a Global Context. (S) Spring 2011
In this course we will consider how the categories of “witchcraft” and “sorcery” have been used in Anthropology, both to describe mystical acts (particularly mystical attacks) and as an ethnographic metaphor to discuss the pressures of communal life for individuals. Course content will consist of, but not be limited to, witchcraft and sorcery as a “social strain gauge,” witchcraft and sorcery as expressions of symbolic power, the gendered name of witchcraft and sorcery, as well as witchcraft and sorcery under conditions of western-style modernity. Same as AFS/ANT/WGS 250 Bastian
RST330. Anthropological Studies of Religion. (S) Spring 2011
This course takes account of various aspects of religious and ritual practice, using material from both contemporary and classic ethnographies. Topics of special interest for the course will include, but not be limited to: cosmological constructions; initiation; possession; commensality; magic; witchcraft and sorcery; ritual aesthetics; and performance. Prerequisite: ANT
RST200
Same as ANT 330. Bastian
RST332. Religion and Politics. (H) Offered in 2010–2011
Begins with Christian classics, St. Augustine, Calvin and their vision of the relation of Christianity to the State or to the pursuit of power and wealth. Moves to the last few centuries, in which a Christian vision has been challenged by thinkers such as Rousseau and Nietzsche. Course ends with readings from contemporary period, in which the place of Christianity in the public sphere is again shifting. Aronowicz
RST359. Modern Religious Thinkers: Pascal, Kierkegaard and Rosenzweig. (H) Fall 2010
Focuses on three thinkers who rethought the meaning of their respective religious traditions — Catholicism, Protestantism, Judaism — in ways that were to influence not only their respective community but also how we think about religion in general. All three challenged what we mean by religion. Same as JST 359. Aronowicz
AREA STUDIES
JUDAISM
RST233. Religion in 20th-Century Jewish Literature. (H) Spring 2011
Readings of well-known 20th century Jewish short story writers, novelists and poets. In an era in which many people, including many of the authors, thought they were moving away from religion, religious questions and imagery remain nonetheless prevalent. What are these questions? How does the fiction reflect and respond to the upheavals of the time? Same as JST 233. Aronowicz
RST252. Modern Jewish Thought. (H) Offered in 2011–2012
Studies Jewish thinkers from the Enlightenment to the present, through their philosophical writings, political essays, religious reflections and fiction. The chief question was how to make the Jewish tradition adapt or respond to the modern Western State and to modern Western culture. This is a course about the Jews and the West. To what degree is there harmony? To what degree is there conflict? Same as JST 252. Aronowicz
RST253. Jewish History I: Jews of East and West Through the Middle Ages. (NW) (S) Every Fall
Introduction to Jewish history, beginning with first centuries of the Common Era and continuing to end of 17th century. Examines central themes and patterns in Jewish history. Readings consist of narrative as well as documentary histories with discussion of different theoretical approaches to the writing of Jewish history. Same as HST/JST 253. Hoffman
RST254. Jewish History II: Jews in the Modern World. (S) Every Spring
Introduction to Jewish life in the modern era from late 18th century Emancipation and Enlightenment through the present, tracing the transformations of Jewish life. Broad historical sketches are combined with close readings of particular texts, movements and thinkers to flesh out the contours and dynamics of the Jewish experience in the Modern world. Major events of Jewish history of 20th century (the Holocaust, foundation of the State of Israel and mass migration of European Jews to the Americas) are examined through secondary and primary sources. Same as HST/JST 254. Hoffman
RST325. Jewish Culture in Eastern Europe. (S) Fall 2010
Course focuses on the Jews of Eastern Europe from the end of the Middle Ages through the present; looks at variety of cultural forms and expressions they have created. From tradition to modernity, Shtetl to Socialism, religious scholarship to secular literature, examines the rich cultural life of East European Jews in all its myriad manifestations. Specific emphasis on transformations in the culture of Yiddish-speaking Jews in Poland and Russia. Same as HIS/JST 325. Hoffman
RST326. Jewish Views of Jesus. (S) (E) Spring 2010
Course explores the ways in which Jews have related to and represented the figure of Jesus, using Jewish texts from the birth of Christianity to the present day. Beginning with the Talmud, examines numerous Jewish sources (including literature and art) and looks at a number of historical periods and the different religious, social and intellectual developments that influenced Jewish perceptions and portrayals of Jesus. Same as HIS/JST 326. Hoffman
RST327. Cinema and the American Jewish Experience. (S) (U) Spring 2010
Course explores representations of American Jewish life, culture and religion in cinema. Using an historical perspective, it analyzes the different ways in which Jewish identity and culture have been represented in American film. Looks at history of Jews in the United States, Jewish involvement in the film industry and anti-Semitism. Films viewed weekly, including feature films and several documentaries, in class and in an extra viewing session. Same as AMS/HIS/JST 327. Hoffman
RST340. Jews in the Greco-Roman World. (H) Spring 2010
Focuses on Jews and Judaism during period of profound changes after the conquest of Alexander the Great that were key to development of modern Judaism and Christianity. Surveys variety of Jewish writing from the period: historical; philosophical; apocalyptic; and exegetical. These texts, including Dead Sea scrolls, will be read in combination with modern scholarly works treating Jewish life and history of the period. Same as JST 340. Cooper
CHRISTIANITY
RST265. The Protestant Reformation. (H) Offered in 2009–2011
Focuses on the history and literature of the 16th-century Protestant Reformation among Europe’s German-speaking populations and on the transference of these traditions to Great Britain and the American colonies. Aims to read and understand primary sources in the matrix of social, political and religious history. Examines the origins of American evangelicalism. Cooper
RST335. Reformation/Counter-reformation. (A) Fall 2010
An examination of the political and doctrinal conflicts between the Roman Catholic Church and the “reformed” religions of northern Europe and their impact on art and architecture of Germany and the Netherlands during the 16th and 17th centuries. The following topics are emphasized: iconoclasm (the destruction of images), new forms of iconography and church architecture and the transformation of visual culture in emerging Protestant states. Prerequisite: Prior course in art history recommended. Same as ART 335. Aleci
RST346. Holy Men and Holy Women: Asceticism, Monasticism, and Spiritual Discipline. (H) Spring 2011
This course will focus on the development of the idea of spiritual discipline, its theory and practice, during the first four centuries of Christianity. Emphasis will be on reading primary sources in light of their social-historical and history-of-religions background with attention to the development of Christian spiritual practice in relation to the Jewish and pagan precedents. Cooper
RST384. Soul in Search of Selfhood: The Writings of St. Augustine. (H) Fall 2009
Intensive study of some of the major writings focusing on human existence, free will, justice, the state and the nature of God. Analyses his intellectual and spiritual struggles, his mature conceptions of the Christian religion and his integration of the cultural achievements of Mediterranean antiquity into Christianity. Seeks to understand Augustine’s individual life and thought within the matrix of his own culture and times. Cooper
ASIAN RELIGIONS
RST322. Buddhism in North America. (H) Fall 2010
Focuses on some of the distinctive forms that Buddhism has taken in North America. Discusses a number of traditions, including Theravada, Zen and Tibetan Buddhism, comparing their American versions with those in Asia and addressing the transformations of various Buddhist traditions to accommodate American lifestyles and views. Also addresses a number of issues pertinent to Buddhism in America and the West, such as Buddhist identity, ethnicity, gender issues, authority and social activism. Same as AMS 322. McMahan
RST337. Hindu Literature and Practice. (H) (NW) Fall 2009
An exploration of selected thematic elements of Hinduism. Begins with a focus on texts, doctrines, myths and rituals of Hinduism from the early period. This will give us some basic Hindu ideas on selfhood, the nature of the cosmos and divinity and concepts of gods and goddesses and how one should relate to them. After this, we will look at the modern period beginning with Hindu reformers such as Gandhi and Vivekananda. Then we explore the varied and colorful world of contemporary Hinduism. McMahan
RST367. Self, Society and Nature in Chinese and Japanese Religions. (H) (NW) Offered in 2009–2011
A thematic exploration of self, society, nature and their inter-relationships as conceived in Chinese and Japanese religions, especially Daoism, Buddhism and Confucianism. Addresses these issues through translations of classical Chinese and Japanese texts and examines how these themes play out in a number of historical periods. We will end with some examples of recent East Asian concepts and practices embody certain themes in ancient traditions while adapting to the unique challenges of modernity. McMahan American religion
RST303. Visualizing American Civil Religion. (H) Spring 2011
Examines the issue of civil religion from the perspectives of history and visual culture. We will examine developments in the technological and religious spheres in order to pursue the following question: What roles, if any, have visual technologies and their products played in the creation and maintenance of the perceptual attitudes, metaphysical opinions and ethical motivations of the American populace? Lardas Modern
RST313. African-American Religion. (H) Fall 2011
Surveys a variety religious traditions and expressions of African Americans throughout the history of the United States. Of particular interest to our study will be the problems of slavery, colonization and racialism as they have been embodied in the history of African-American religion. Lardas Modern
ADVANCED SEMINARS IN RELIGIOUS STUDIES
RST420. Interpreting Religion. (H) Spring 2010
What are the major theories in the West about the nature of religion? How do they help or hinder us in our interpretation of the documents of specific religious traditions? We will read some of the major theorists of religion in depth and see how they shed light on religious texts and movements. Staff
RST490. Independent Study.
Independent study directed by Religious Studies staff. Permission of chairperson and departmental faculty.
RSTTopics Courses Expected to be Offered in 2009–2010
Shi’ism.
Islamic Law.
Art and Architecture of Premodern Judaism.
